Many schools make cuts in art and music programs because of budgeting. I believe that both art and music are an integral part of a child’s education. My vision is to create an after school program for schools who have had to make these cuts so that students can learn how to express themselves through art and music.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide art classes and musical instruction to underprivileged students who are interested in exploring their expressive side.
Strategies
Find schools that are interested in the program, come to them and present our program to the students
Hire art and music teachers who are able to invest time in the children who join the program
Continue to pitch the idea to more schools after running the program successfully
Keep the program on the same curriculum among the different schools
Hold concerts/art shows that showcase the work of the students at the end of the school year
Offer an optional summer program
Host camps for students involved in the after school program
Professional Email
Ms. Hoppe,
Hello! My name is Christine Adams and I am a student at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. I am currently pursing teaching licensure in special education, so your organization’s mission and works have piqued my interest.
As I am an artist myself and would like to incorporate art as much as possible in the classroom, I have a few questions for you. What exactly inspired you to begin working with VSA? In what ways have you seen art help those who are disabled? Finally, do you have any recommendations/ideas for how I could incorporate art in unique ways in the classroom?
I look forward to your response and possibly volunteering with your organization in the future! I really enjoy VSA’s mission and the programs you have set up to benefit those who are disabled!
5 Topics in Education That Interest Me: 1. Inclusion/Co-Teaching 2. Standardized testing 3. Relationships between parents and teachers 4. The effect of newer technology on learning 5. Challenges that intervention specialists face in the classroom
Classroom Management
My classroom will have all of the desks facing the chalkboard, so that the focus is on the teacher and learning materials. I will establish rules and standards for the classroom when the school year starts so that the students know what is expected of them.
My main focus in the classroom will be the promote a positive classroom environment. This means maintaining students’ interest, motivation, and involvement. I will do this through allowing students to be creative and also through catering activities and projects to the individual needs of the students. I also want to create a safe and comfortable environment for the students. I want the students to feel safe discussing opinions and being open with each other and me without judgment. This is a policy that will be stated at the beginning of the year.
It is important for the school day to be structured and for the students to be able to focus and concentrate. I intend to promote this through providing a syllabus of what the semester will look like, including when assignments are due. I also plan to have a scheduled day and make sure the students know about that schedule so they can be prepared for the school day. I will try to minimize distraction in the classroom as much as possible while still making it a welcoming environment.
Hippocratic Oath
As an educator, I vow to respect all students and to focus on the student’s needs first. I vow to try my best to create a positive learning experience for each individual child and to make the classroom a place where students feel comfortable voicing their own opinions and ideas. I vow to try my hardest to help my students to be successful in their education as well as in life.
Readings, Part One
Description of an Athenian Schoolboy’s Life, by Plato
Here, Plato describes what an Athenian boy’s life looks like in terms of education. He starts by saying that education begins when a boy is born and ends when he dies. He makes this argument by saying that a mother and father teach a child discipline and the difference between right and wrong. The boy then goes to school where he learns to how to play music, how to read poetry, how to do gymnastics, and the laws. I agree with Plato’s statement about learning being a lifelong process. Maybe I would choose different subjects to teach, but music, poetry, fitness, and law were pertinent subjects of Plato’s time. Regardless, it appears that each boy came out of school as a well-rounded individual. This is something I believe that education has the power to do and I intend to do more than just teach in the future, I intend to help create well-rounded individuals who can succeed in life.
Quintilian on the Importance of Grammar
Quintilian believes that grammar should be taught after someone understands how to read and write. He talks about grammar in regards to “speaking correctly” and also “correct reading.” He argues that grammar is no small matter, but something that is laborious and “sharpens the wits of boys.” It is something that helps us study writing of all sorts. This seems to be the way that grammar is taught currently. I remember studying grammar in a deep way when I was in the 7th grade. Prior to this, I learned how to read and write and finally began to learn how to study those subjects. In reading this passage, I thought that I disagreed with this point at first, but soon realized that Quintilian’s approach makes sense. His ideas about grammar being so important are true. Grammar is such a small thing that helps us do essential things, like understand music, speak, write, and read correctly.
The Founding of Harvard College
The author believes that education is important, as after getting settled in New England, the first thing people wanted was to learn. Thus, Harvard College was born. This institution was probably a lot different from colleges today. In this day and age, students mostly go to college to get a good job. The author made it seem that people wanted an institution of higher learning, simply for the sake of learning. I agree with this mindset. As someone who loves learning, I plan to promote these ideals in my classroom. Yes, it is essential to go to school to get a job, but there is so much more to learning than that.
Adam Smith on the Instruction of the Common People
Smith argues that “common people” have no time for education and when they become old enough, they begin learning a trade. They do not learn how to read, write or do math, which are subjects he considers to be essential. He believes that education should be something that happens before work/career and also in educating the “common man” in order to create a more decent and orderly society. I agree that education is very important and every human, rich or poor, has a right to education. In my own practice as a teacher, I plan to exercise this by viewing my students as equals and through trying to educate each child to the best of my ability.
The New Problem of Child Labor
This author argues that prior to the Industrial Revolution, child labor on farms taught children the discipline of mind and character, how to be self-reliant, and how to be useful. He argues that this kind of labor produces the highest educational advantages. The labor in sweat-shops and factories during the Industrial Revolution, however, is not this. The author argues that this kind of labor breaks down a child’s mental and physical development and cannot replace education in a way that labor once did. I would have to agree with this view. The labor of the Industrial Revolution was dirty, monotonous, and straining. There is more value to allowing children to work on a farm rather than forcing them into dirty, monotonous work. Although I tend to agree more that children should be in school rather on a farm, the author gives a compelling argument and holds a view that I never had thought about before.
Readings, Part Two
Of the Training of Black Men, by W.E.B. Du Bois
One major theme that we talked about in regards to “Readings in the History of Education,” is the idea of access to education. Through our class discussion, we deduced that across history, not everyone has had access to education at all times. This article by Du Bois argues that men of color deserve a right to education, in light of creating unity among ethnicities. Du Bois talks about the “Negro” colleges that are currently in place and how they are ill-equipped and inadequate, compared to other institutions of higher learning. He argues for upping these standards and provides evidence that it is helpful and necessary for black men to be equipped at this caliber.
This connects to the idea of access to education in that we are looking at 2 different educational standards among “white” and “Negro” colleges. Clearly, African American men do not have the same access to education as the white men do.
Readings, Part Three
My Pedagogic Creed, by John Dewey In thinking about access to education, Dewey brings up a good point about the purpose of schooling in “My Pedagogic Creed.” He argues that “school life should grow into home life” and that it is of utmost importance to learn about sewing, cooking, etc. rather than just science. His perspective on schooling is drastically different than what we see in education today. Dewey places more emphasis on school as an institution to facilitate the learning of basic tasks, rather than a means to an end that is entirely focused on science. He believes that a good community life in a school is fundamental and that school itself is mainly important for developing a good social life.
These ideas bring into question the idea of the kinds of education that people have access to. This is not everyone’s attitude toward schooling, therefore, some are missing out on the kind of school experience that Dewey describes. Although I disagree with several of Dewey’s points, I do believe that there should be a bigger emphasis on socialization than there is. Currently, children are in school for about 15 years. While schooling turns out to be a means to an end (career), it is a child’s life for those 15 years. Because of this, it is important to teach students social skills not only to help them through school, but also to help them in the future.
My Philosophy of Education
I believe that the purpose of education is to help form individuals into better contributors to society through learning. I believe that everyone has the capacity and desire to learn more about the world and the things in it. Education feeds this desire to learn as well as accomplishes the goal of growing individuals into thriving adults in society. I believe that my role in this task is to facilitate educational growth for every student. I will be committed to my students’ diverse needs and will aim to do my best in accommodating those needs. Above all, I will respect all students and focus on the student’s needs first. I believe that it is my responsibility to create a positive learning experience for each individual child and to make the classroom a place where students feel comfortable voicing their own opinions and ideas.
I will reach a wide diversity of learners through figuring out the individual learning needs of my students and shaping lesson plans to fit those needs. As an intervention specialist, my community of learners will mostly be those who learn diversely. I intend to not only focus on the students’ individual needs, but also the needs of the class as a whole.
I believe that parent-teacher relationships are highly important and I intend on keeping an open line of communication with the parents of my students. This means communicating with the parents about how their student is doing in class and also getting input and information from the parents about the student. This will help me better understand my students, but also help their parents better understand their child as a learner in the classroom.
Overall, I will be committed to the success and growth of each individual student. Furthermore, I will be committed to humbly refining my role as an educator for the sake of future students.
Arts After School
Vision
Mission Statement
Strategies
Professional Email
Ms. Hoppe,
Hello! My name is Christine Adams and I am a student at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. I am currently pursing teaching licensure in special education, so your organization’s mission and works have piqued my interest.
As I am an artist myself and would like to incorporate art as much as possible in the classroom, I have a few questions for you. What exactly inspired you to begin working with VSA? In what ways have you seen art help those who are disabled? Finally, do you have any recommendations/ideas for how I could incorporate art in unique ways in the classroom?
I look forward to your response and possibly volunteering with your organization in the future! I really enjoy VSA’s mission and the programs you have set up to benefit those who are disabled!
Thank you for your time!
Christine Adams
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
Prezi!
5 Topics in Education That Interest Me:
1. Inclusion/Co-Teaching
2. Standardized testing
3. Relationships between parents and teachers
4. The effect of newer technology on learning
5. Challenges that intervention specialists face in the classroom
Classroom Management
My classroom will have all of the desks facing the chalkboard, so that the focus is on the teacher and learning materials. I will establish rules and standards for the classroom when the school year starts so that the students know what is expected of them.
My main focus in the classroom will be the promote a positive classroom environment. This means maintaining students’ interest, motivation, and involvement. I will do this through allowing students to be creative and also through catering activities and projects to the individual needs of the students. I also want to create a safe and comfortable environment for the students. I want the students to feel safe discussing opinions and being open with each other and me without judgment. This is a policy that will be stated at the beginning of the year.
It is important for the school day to be structured and for the students to be able to focus and concentrate. I intend to promote this through providing a syllabus of what the semester will look like, including when assignments are due. I also plan to have a scheduled day and make sure the students know about that schedule so they can be prepared for the school day. I will try to minimize distraction in the classroom as much as possible while still making it a welcoming environment.
Hippocratic Oath
As an educator, I vow to respect all students and to focus on the student’s needs first. I vow to try my best to create a positive learning experience for each individual child and to make the classroom a place where students feel comfortable voicing their own opinions and ideas. I vow to try my hardest to help my students to be successful in their education as well as in life.
Readings, Part One
Description of an Athenian Schoolboy’s Life, by Plato
Here, Plato describes what an Athenian boy’s life looks like in terms of education. He starts by saying that education begins when a boy is born and ends when he dies. He makes this argument by saying that a mother and father teach a child discipline and the difference between right and wrong. The boy then goes to school where he learns to how to play music, how to read poetry, how to do gymnastics, and the laws. I agree with Plato’s statement about learning being a lifelong process. Maybe I would choose different subjects to teach, but music, poetry, fitness, and law were pertinent subjects of Plato’s time. Regardless, it appears that each boy came out of school as a well-rounded individual. This is something I believe that education has the power to do and I intend to do more than just teach in the future, I intend to help create well-rounded individuals who can succeed in life.
Quintilian on the Importance of Grammar
Quintilian believes that grammar should be taught after someone understands how to read and write. He talks about grammar in regards to “speaking correctly” and also “correct reading.” He argues that grammar is no small matter, but something that is laborious and “sharpens the wits of boys.” It is something that helps us study writing of all sorts. This seems to be the way that grammar is taught currently. I remember studying grammar in a deep way when I was in the 7th grade. Prior to this, I learned how to read and write and finally began to learn how to study those subjects. In reading this passage, I thought that I disagreed with this point at first, but soon realized that Quintilian’s approach makes sense. His ideas about grammar being so important are true. Grammar is such a small thing that helps us do essential things, like understand music, speak, write, and read correctly.
The Founding of Harvard College
The author believes that education is important, as after getting settled in New England, the first thing people wanted was to learn. Thus, Harvard College was born. This institution was probably a lot different from colleges today. In this day and age, students mostly go to college to get a good job. The author made it seem that people wanted an institution of higher learning, simply for the sake of learning. I agree with this mindset. As someone who loves learning, I plan to promote these ideals in my classroom. Yes, it is essential to go to school to get a job, but there is so much more to learning than that.
Adam Smith on the Instruction of the Common People
Smith argues that “common people” have no time for education and when they become old enough, they begin learning a trade. They do not learn how to read, write or do math, which are subjects he considers to be essential. He believes that education should be something that happens before work/career and also in educating the “common man” in order to create a more decent and orderly society. I agree that education is very important and every human, rich or poor, has a right to education. In my own practice as a teacher, I plan to exercise this by viewing my students as equals and through trying to educate each child to the best of my ability.
The New Problem of Child Labor
This author argues that prior to the Industrial Revolution, child labor on farms taught children the discipline of mind and character, how to be self-reliant, and how to be useful. He argues that this kind of labor produces the highest educational advantages. The labor in sweat-shops and factories during the Industrial Revolution, however, is not this. The author argues that this kind of labor breaks down a child’s mental and physical development and cannot replace education in a way that labor once did. I would have to agree with this view. The labor of the Industrial Revolution was dirty, monotonous, and straining. There is more value to allowing children to work on a farm rather than forcing them into dirty, monotonous work. Although I tend to agree more that children should be in school rather on a farm, the author gives a compelling argument and holds a view that I never had thought about before.
Readings, Part Two
Of the Training of Black Men, by W.E.B. Du Bois
One major theme that we talked about in regards to “Readings in the History of Education,” is the idea of access to education. Through our class discussion, we deduced that across history, not everyone has had access to education at all times. This article by Du Bois argues that men of color deserve a right to education, in light of creating unity among ethnicities. Du Bois talks about the “Negro” colleges that are currently in place and how they are ill-equipped and inadequate, compared to other institutions of higher learning. He argues for upping these standards and provides evidence that it is helpful and necessary for black men to be equipped at this caliber.
This connects to the idea of access to education in that we are looking at 2 different educational standards among “white” and “Negro” colleges. Clearly, African American men do not have the same access to education as the white men do.
Readings, Part Three
My Pedagogic Creed, by John Dewey
In thinking about access to education, Dewey brings up a good point about the purpose of schooling in “My Pedagogic Creed.” He argues that “school life should grow into home life” and that it is of utmost importance to learn about sewing, cooking, etc. rather than just science. His perspective on schooling is drastically different than what we see in education today. Dewey places more emphasis on school as an institution to facilitate the learning of basic tasks, rather than a means to an end that is entirely focused on science. He believes that a good community life in a school is fundamental and that school itself is mainly important for developing a good social life.
These ideas bring into question the idea of the kinds of education that people have access to. This is not everyone’s attitude toward schooling, therefore, some are missing out on the kind of school experience that Dewey describes. Although I disagree with several of Dewey’s points, I do believe that there should be a bigger emphasis on socialization than there is. Currently, children are in school for about 15 years. While schooling turns out to be a means to an end (career), it is a child’s life for those 15 years. Because of this, it is important to teach students social skills not only to help them through school, but also to help them in the future.
My Philosophy of Education
I believe that the purpose of education is to help form individuals into better contributors to society through learning. I believe that everyone has the capacity and desire to learn more about the world and the things in it. Education feeds this desire to learn as well as accomplishes the goal of growing individuals into thriving adults in society. I believe that my role in this task is to facilitate educational growth for every student. I will be committed to my students’ diverse needs and will aim to do my best in accommodating those needs. Above all, I will respect all students and focus on the student’s needs first. I believe that it is my responsibility to create a positive learning experience for each individual child and to make the classroom a place where students feel comfortable voicing their own opinions and ideas.
I will reach a wide diversity of learners through figuring out the individual learning needs of my students and shaping lesson plans to fit those needs. As an intervention specialist, my community of learners will mostly be those who learn diversely. I intend to not only focus on the students’ individual needs, but also the needs of the class as a whole.
I believe that parent-teacher relationships are highly important and I intend on keeping an open line of communication with the parents of my students. This means communicating with the parents about how their student is doing in class and also getting input and information from the parents about the student. This will help me better understand my students, but also help their parents better understand their child as a learner in the classroom.
Overall, I will be committed to the success and growth of each individual student. Furthermore, I will be committed to humbly refining my role as an educator for the sake of future students.